 Spring - Remembering
the person before Alzheimer's
• Appearance
• Immediate family (parent, siblings, others)
• Married with children (or not)
• Faith-based activities
• Having fun
• Celebrations and holidays
• Doing for others (volunteerism, caregiving, etc.)
• Quirks, mannerisms, hobbies, etc.
• Friends and neighbors
• Education
• Childhood
• Favorite foods to prepare and/or eat
• Memorable travels
• Other memories
| |  Summer - The diagnosis
• How the diagnosis was made
• How the patient accepted the reality of AD
•How you, the caregiver, accepted the reality of AD
• How everyday life was adjusted for the patient
• How everyday life was adjusted for you, the caregiver
• The driving dilemma
• The comfort of familiar things
• Dealing with the forgetfulness
• Scary incidents and their outcomes
• Wandering and other potentially dangerous behavior
• Exhibiting obsessive behavior
• Handling money and legal matters
• Caring for pets
• Getting support from the medical community
• Resources used at this point
|
 Fall - The Steady Decline
• Family responses and input on decisions
• Language challenges
• Hygiene challenges
• Clothing challenges
• Mental challenges
• Rare “in the moment” times to cherish
• Recalling the not-so-distant past and other interesting
thought patterns
• Signs of frustration in the patient; acting out
• How you, the caregiver, handle(d) your frustrations and
anger
• Housing decisions; dealing with possessions
• Medical decisions at this point
• More money decisions
• The patient’s faith-based habits
• Care conferences and decisions
• Grief counseling
• Caring for you, the caregiver
• Creative care and activities for the patient
| |  Winter - The sad reality
• Symptoms of decline
• More medical decisions
• Accepting that the end is near
• Hospice help
• Faith-based comfort
• The worst thing about this death
• The best thing about this death
• In memoriam: the service of remembrance
• Tying up the loose ends
• Moving forward with grieving
• Moving forward with life – you, the caregiver
• Things you learned about yourself during this AD journey
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